Morito Garin
Morito Garin was the second Ox Clan Champion. Family The wife of the Ox Clan Champion Morito was sister of Garin's mother. Garin was one of the few Ox not selected to join the Kolat, a conspiracy deeply infiltrated among his clan. He suspected what was happening within the ranks of his clan, and struggled with the balance of loyalty to his clan and family. Fealty and Freedom, pp. 79-80 Ox Clan Champion Garin succeeded the Ox Clan founder as Ox Clan Champion following Morito's death in 1170. Morito had been one of the Kolat Masters and was killed at the Hidden Temple, but this fact was covered up and it was claimed Morito had been killed in bandit attacks. The War of Dark Fire, Part 4, by Shawn Carman Scorpion Allies During the aftermath of the Scorpion's decimation of the Kolat, an emissary of the Scorpion had told Garin that he was the only Ox samurai with the will and the vision to redeem his clan. Garin had sworn he would never betray the Scorpion, and in turn the clan's affiliation with the Kolat would never become public knowledge. The Emerald Champion Shosuro Jimen had proclaimed Morito Garin the new Ox Clan Champion. Fealty and Freedom, p. 80 Rooting the Kolat Garin, who had no prior knowledge of the Kolat, was ashamed at the extent of his clan's treason. He surrounded himself with trusted vassals and covertly Secrets of the Empire, p. 78 sent a request to the Khan Moto Chen asking for assistance in rooting out the Kolat from his clan. Fealty and Freedom, p. 76 To remove Chen's doubts about his true loyalties, Garin told Chen that he could select the next Ox Champion, and prepared to commit seppuku. Chen finally stopped him, convinced of the man's sincerity, and placed one of his Shinjo advisors with Garin. Garin approached the Hare Clan Champion Usagi Ozaki, and told one of his men, Ujina Heiji, had been found among the kolat. Fealty and Freedom, p. 44 Garin's Vigilant His Unicorn advisor began instructing Garin in the techniques of the Vigilant, a Unicorn school devoted to resisting and destroying the Kolat. From those teachings it was developed the Ox school known as Garin's Vigilants, an elite unit of men who would never be compromised by the Kolat. Conflicts War of Dark Fire The Army of Fire attacked the Ox lands, and Imperial Legion forces arrived to defend them from the Army of Fire during the War of Dark Fire. The yobanjin minions of Chosai, the Dark Oracle of Fire, attacked Shiro Morito, from earth and air, with wyrm raiders. The Legions and the Ox defeated them in the Battle of Shiro Morito. Destroyer War When the Army of Fire returned to the Empire during the Destroyer War the Badger and Ox clan sided with the Dragon Clan against them. Radiant Steel (The Plague War flavor) Retirement The Ox had fought savagely during the previous wars, gaining again the respect of the other clans. Garin eventually married a samurai-ko of the Bayushi family and retired when his son, Morito Naname, came of age. See also * Morito Garin/Meta Category:Ox Clan Leaders